March 31, 2015

March Madness



















This has been quite a month. Here's what I did in March:

• I started the month literally at 4:00 AM March 1st on a skype call with the rest of the Urban Sketchers Executive Board, who were all in Azores where I was also supposed to be, except that two days earlier Delta could not get me from Memphis to Atlanta (to get to Boston, to get to the Azores).

• Paid for a new roof.

• Wrote a grant to the Singapore Tourism Development board for the Symposium.

• Spent the last few minutes of my grandmother's life with her.

• Spent four days surrounded by the people I love the most, and said goodbye to my grandmother.

• Spent four days in New York with our niece.

• Worked with a great team to start the Symposium registration process.

• Planned out a whole new class, Fast Sketching with Ink and Watercolor, that starts next week at Flicker Street Studio, and then I'll repeat it in May.

• Did my late grandmother's taxes.

• Prepped paintings to install at Memphis Made Brewing Company for the Cooper Young Art Tour this Friday night, April 3 from 6 to 9. Come out and buy me a drink - I deserve it!

Here are some more sketches from my non-trip to the Azores:







March 29, 2015

Little Things


March 27, 2015

New York City!

This year was niece Somerset's turn to go to New York with us. (Nephews Calvin and Joshua have had turns already.) We had a fantastic time - she kept us entertained!

In the first 7 hours of being there, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, ice-skated at Rockefeller Center, ate New York cheesecake, and visited the top of the Empire State Building. NBD.


Day two was no less eventful, as we ate at the Applejack Diner, visited MOMA (and got a free ticket due to Somerset's taste in hats), shopped at Uniqlo, saw St. Patrick's Cathedral, ate New York pizza, rode the Staten Island ferry, and ate at Les Halles (those fries!).



Here we are explaining the difference between a pie and a tart, visually, and (believe it or not) making a list of the times we have been to NYC (cross-referenced here).

Friday started with breakfast at Pershing Square, the cutest place to eat breakfast that I have found in New York. (Plus its bathroom ranks the highest on my own personal list of NYC bathrooms.)

We popped into Grand Central Station for a moment, then went uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We barely scratched the surface of what there is to see there, but I wanted to make sure to visit the galleries of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, which I've only seen once since it reopened in 2007 (I just looked that up).

I rarely sketch with pencil anymore, but always carry one in case of a museum visit.

When we left the museum it was snowing! We rode the bus a few blocks (it was cold!) down to Terrace Drive and walked across the park. We visited the Bethesda Fountain FINALLY for the first time in our 13 visits. Magical. Then more pizza.

Friday night (yes we're still on Friday!) we took a cab to The Stone and saw the accordionist Guy Klucevsek - it was a lovely, weird, New York time.

Then we had dinner at the Meatball Shop. It's the second time we've eaten there. The first time it impressed us with the food, and the second time with the service (and also the food!). I HIGHLY recommend it.

The last day we STILL did a bunch of stuff! We bought souvenirs for Somerset's brothers and sister and friends, we ate dim sum at Jing Fong - so good!!! - and we bought macaroons, which we scarfed down at the airport.

Until next time, NYC! I love you!



March 25, 2015

Family Time

This is what it looks like when my family is together. All of our feet up. Sometimes there's a cat, but usually a dog. There's always food.

This time there was also grief, as we said goodbye to our beloved Mimi, my grandmother. It was a bittersweet time, as we were all together to celebrate her life. She would've loved it :)



March 16, 2015

Memphis Monday: Metal Museum & the Mississippi River

The Memphis Urban Sketchers visited the Metal Museum last Saturday, when there was still snow on the ground but it was bright and sunny and almost warm. It was the perfect day for sketching the river! I also sketched in the smithy - see more here.

The other sketchers and I discussed how hard it is to convey the river in sketches. It's so big that it's difficult to indicate the boundaries of it. All you can really do is imply it with a bridge or boats.

March 12, 2015

Lunch Sketch

Lisa's Lunchbox!

March 11, 2015

Train

Because, Memphis.

They are always there when you don't want them to be, and they are gone too quickly when you get your sketchbook out.



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